Animal Cookies are a charming vintage cut-out cookie made from a simple sour cream dough flavored with vanilla and nutmeg. Unlike the small, crisp commercial animal crackers that became popular in America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this homemade version is richer and more tender, using butter, egg, and sour cream. The dough is rolled very thin, cut into playful animal shapes, and baked until lightly set. The original recipe even suggests decorating the cookies with pale-colored icing and using darker icing for the eyes. With their old-fashioned flavor and whimsical shapes, these cookies are especially well suited to children's parties, holidays, lunchboxes, and family baking days.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
Optional
- pale-colored icing (for decorating)
- darker-colored icing (for eyes)
Instructions
Step 1: Cream the Butter and Sugar
- 1 cup butter, 1 cup sugarCream the softened butter and sugar together thoroughly until smooth and well combined.
Step 2: Add the Egg
- 1 eggBeat in the egg until fully incorporated.
Step 3: Add Sour Cream and Vanilla
- ½ cup sour cream, 1 tsp vanilla extractMix in the sour cream and vanilla until evenly combined.
Step 4: Sift the Dry Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, ½ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground nutmegIn a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
Step 5: Make the Dough
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.
- Blend well until a cohesive cookie dough forms.
Step 6: Chill the Dough
- For easier handling, cover and refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes.
Step 7: Roll and Cut
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough very thin.
- Cut the dough with animal-shaped cookie cutters.
Step 8: Bake
- Arrange the cookies on an ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheet.
- Bake at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until set and just beginning to color around the edges.
Step 9: Cool and Decorate
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.
- pale-colored icing, darker-colored icingIf desired, ice with pale-colored icing and use darker icing to create the animals' eyes.
- Nutritional Value
Tips
- Roll the dough very thin, as specified on the original card, for a lighter, more delicate cookie.
- Chill the dough for about 30 minutes if it feels too soft or sticky to roll cleanly.
- Dip the edges of the cookie cutters lightly in flour if the dough begins sticking.
- Keep cookies similar in size on each baking sheet so they bake evenly.
- For softer cookies, remove them as soon as they are set; for crisper cookies, allow the edges to become lightly golden.
- Divide icing into several bowls and tint it with soft pastel colors for traditional-looking decorated animal cookies.
- Use a small piping bag or toothpick to add darker icing for eyes and other tiny details.
- Cinnamon can replace part of the nutmeg for a slightly different warm-spice flavor.
- The undecorated cookies can be frozen and iced after thawing.
- Animal cutters are traditional, but the same dough works well with seasonal or holiday cookie cutters.
Nutrition
Calories: 104kcalCarbohydrates: 13.7gProtein: 1.4gFat: 4.9gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1.3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 100mgPotassium: 22mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 4.3gVitamin A: 150IUCalcium: 8mgIron: 0.5mg